Dobby and the Gillyweed: In Snape's Office
by Michael M
Summary: When Dobby Sneaks into Snape's Private Stores, What he finds much more than he knew before


Dobby looked left and right. Professor Snape was no where to be seen.  
  
"Professor Snape no like house elves," Dobby whispered to Winky, who was cowering behind his, tissure in hand, "Don't you do nothing loud!" Dobby beckoned for her to follow him, and he slowly congered up an unlocking spell, breaking the lock on Snape's door, and opening it a crack. He squeezed next to the open door, and then proceeded with to creep around Snape's office.  
  
"Where be the Gillyweed. Don't Snape got any?" Dobby hissed at Winky, who was beginning to shed some tears as she thought of her former master, Bartemius Crouch, fumbling around his home looking for lost items, worst of all, without her as a guide.  
  
Dobby remembered hearing stories about the African witches and the hexes they placed upon the Europeans during the days of the Triangular trade in America. These hexes supposedly ripped a European apart, piece by piece. Sadly, for the muggle Africans, not enough witches were around to save them, so many were shipped away to the Americas for slavery. It was a bad time for witches. But, to this day, the remaining witches still grew gillyweed, a mystical plant that refused to strain anything but oxygen. It was very expensive, and Dobby just hoped Snape still had some.  
  
Dobby shushed Winky, and proceeding to scan the cabinets, filled with all types of substances and potions, some bubbling, some strange, never-before colors, at least for Dobby. He kept looking until her heard some talking in the distant hallways.  
  
"Winky!" he half-whispered and half-shouted, "Get up in this cabinet!" Dobby pulled Winky and her sopping tissue into an unlocked cabinet, and quickly shut the cabinet door, proceeding to hide behind several jars of squirming mealworms. Dobby almost threw up as he glanced for the first time at the jar, but caught himself, holding his mouth shut with one hand, and Winky's sobbing mouth with his other.  
  
Dobby sunk farther back into the Cabinet as Professors Snape and Karkaroff entered the room, locking the door behind them. Dobby was stunned that Snape didn't notice the door was unlocked. He usually was looking for something to be unusually, as when he found it, he could claim some foul play. Snape loved to tattle, and Dobby knew first hand. When he had first arrived at the castle looking for a job, Snape had kicked him twice, screaming that a house elf was supposed to stay hidden and out of the way of the more important people. Dobby told Dumbledore, who sighed and told him that the House Elf Civil Rights was a long way off, but Dobby would be a big part of it. Dobby had no idea what civil rights were, but he thought they sounded like something he should have.  
  
Dobby flexed his large ears as the two professors began to speak. He noticed that both had a large black tatoo on their wrists, yet he couldn't make out what it was from his spot in the cabinet. Dobby supposed they were old friends who had, once upon a time, gotten tatoos together. Anyways, Dobby was a bit confused about Karkaroff, who kept rubbing the tatoo as if it was giving him pain. He assumed that they must have gotten them recently, if it was still hurting the professor.  
  
Dobby eavesdropped as best as he could while holding Winky's mouth shut. Snape began speaking first, "I know, I know, it hurts. But there is no potion to fix it. It will wear off eventually, and, until then, I suggest you just deal with it. The pain can't be that bad. If it hurts too much, I suggest you drink some whiskey, as pain always weakens with alcohol.  
  
Karkaroff began to sweat, "What if he wants us back? What can I do? After all I did, he'll kill me!" he began to sob, banging his fists on the table in the center of the room. Snape grabbed him by the shoulder just before a large jar of newt's livers spilled on the floor.  
  
"If you don't go back, you're going to have to run for it," Snape snipped, "You can't just sit around bawling all day. If you don't move on soon, he'll find you. You're just hurting yourself, now." Snape turned and began to pour some ingredients into a pot. Seconds later, he grabbed a spoon and took a sip. Dobby had no idea what was in the bowl, but he hoped it was nothing serious.  
  
"I can't just run," Karkaroff sobbed, "Durstrang needs me! And, if Voldemort finds me running, he'll do worse than kill me! He'll cast the Crustacious Curse, and I'll be a doll forever!" Karkaroff began to bawl, putting his face between his arms as he took as seat, finally. Snape rolled his eyes and dragged the crying man back up onto his feet.  
  
"Look. I can't deal with this right now. I have to help prepare for tomorrow's challenge, and no, I wont tell you what it is. Anyways, I'm only giving them one potion, and they wont even tell me what it's for. You should get back to your ship, or the judges may think you're out spying. I don't want Viktor out of the running, because he is the only real threat to Harry. Please, just leave me to finish my work. But, make sure he has something to breathe underwater before you go to bed, please. If he has nothing, come back here, and I'll get you some gillyweed. That should do the trick." Snape swung the door open and turned back to the pot. He began to stir some more, ignoring Karkaroff as he left, swinging the door shut, loudly. His sobs could be heard as he walked up and out of the dungeon.   
  
Gillyweed! Now Dobby was sure that Snape had some, somewhere!  
  
Snape took another swig of the concotion, and stirred it for several more minutes. Winky had finally stopped crying and, as the conversation between Karkaroff and Snape had droned on, had fallen asleep in Dobby's lap. He decided to wake until Snape left to wake her.  
  
Snape, apparently, found the correct mixture, and began to bottle the mixture. Dobby soon found that he was not to finish until the whole cauldron was emptied, and eventually, Dobby himself fell asleep, laying Winky softly next to him as he drifted into a deep slumber.  
  
Dobby woke up in the early morning, and suddenly realized he had yet to find the gillyweed! Shaking Winky awake, he scoured the shelves, looking for the plant without bothering to clean his tracks. Finally, in the far corner of the room, he found several of the plants leaves stuck to the bottom of a mostly empty jar. Climbing in the jar himself and prying the pieces out, Dobby managed to find enough, as he figured it, to last Harry throughout the challenge. Dragging the tired and cranky Winky through the hallways, and forgetting to do any cleaning whatsoever, Dobby ran to Harry's room, just in time to wake him up for the Second Challenge, and save the day, as he had once before...  



End file.
